Exhibit Opening: Saturday, January 9, 2009


Between September and December 2009, four children have been producing an unusual product as the result of their studies: a museum exhibit entitled Banish Modern Slavery!

We invite you to attend the free opening of Banish Modern Slavery! on Saturday, January 9th2010. The exhibit will feature the interpretations of these four children, who participated in a ten-week class covering exhibition design and the study of both modern and historical slavery. From an installation referencing the Department of Labor’s recent release of a list of goods potentially tainted by slave labor to original artwork, the exhibit speaks to the unfortunate continuum of international slavery.

During the opening reception, visitors will have an opportunity to meet and speak with the child curators, experience the exhibit, stroll through the larger museum (which features the exhibit Slavery: The Great and Foul Stain) and participate in activities centering on raising awareness about modern slavery (films, handicrafts, a lecture and more).

For further information, please call 914-965-4027 or visit our event information website, philipsemanorhall.blogspot.com. You may also visit the blog the students have created to describe a portion of the work process: http://www.slaveryiscruel.blogspot.com/.

This exhibit was made possible by a partnership between Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site, a museum and historic house in downtown Yonkers, and the Adventure Center: Journeys of Wonder, Inc., an educational enrichment program. Philipse Manor Hall, the setting for the exhibit, was once owned by the Philipse Family, who were slave owners and slave traders in the 17th and 18th centuries.

DAILY TOUR SCHEDULE

Are you interested in coming in for a tour to learn what the mansion on the corner is all about? Are you interested in scheduling a group for a historic, exhibit, or special tour? Here are all the details you need to know!

DAILY TOURS :


Tuesday - Sunday @ 12, 1 and 2 P.M (Winter Season)
Please note that we will be closed on Christmas Day 2009 and New Year's Day 2010.

Historic House Tour: This tour features the stories and history of the individual members of the Philipse Family, the history of Yonkers, and the many purposes the Manor House has had over the centuries.

Exhibit Tour: This tour guides you through our current exhibit, Slavery: The Great and Foul Stain. We take a look at the role of the Philipse Family in the slave trade, witness the slow evolution of society's thinking on slavery, and learn what some famous statesmen and presidents thought about the institution of slavery.

Note: We'll happily combine the above two tours into one interesting story, if all tour takers wish!

ADMISSION:

Adults: $5
Students/Seniors: $3
Children under 12: Always FREE

Groups of 10 or more: $3/person

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site
29 Warburton Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10701
(914) 965-4027



Photograph: Will Willson, 2008

PUBLIC TOURS


Philipse Manor Hall offers well regarded historic and academic tours to meet the needs of individuals and groups wishing to interact with our unique history. Schedule a tour today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are you located?
Philipse Manor Hall is located at the corner of Warburton and Dock in downtown Yonkers, just a few blocks up from the Yonkers Railroad Station and the Yonkers Riverfront Library. Our address is 29 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, New York, 10701.
View Larger Map.

Are Philipse Manor Hall and Philipsburg Manor the same building?
Nope! Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site is located in downtown Yonkers, and Philipsburg Manor is about 15 miles north of us in the Sleepy Hollow/Tarrytown area of New York. As you may have guessed, however, both sites were once owned by the Philipse Family, one of the richest families of colonial New York. They owned all the land between the two sites, and much more besides. Their family’s fortunes ended around the time of the American Revolution when they sided with the Loyalist cause.

Philipse Manor Hall was known as the Lower Mills (a grist mill, converted from an earlier saw mill, stood fairly close to the building), and Philipsburg Manor was known as the Upper Mills. The property was reduced after the American Revolution to just 320 acres, and was subsequently downsized as the city expanded. As time passed, and urban Yonkers grew up around Philipse Manor Hall, the building took on several different purposes, including acting as City Hall.

Today, Philipse Manor Hall is operated under New York State’s Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Philipsburg Manor, on the other hand, is a part of Historic Hudson Valley. Both sites are open to the public, and encourage visitation!

Is there somewhere I can read a history of the Manor Hall?
We encourage you to come in for a house tour, but there is also reading to be done online. You can read a thorough history of Yonkers and Philipse Manor Hall here. If you have any questions or particular research requests, please call us at (914) 965-4027.

Do you have educational programs for students and teachers?
Absolutely! From traveling museum trunks to on-site interactive visits, we’ve been working with local schools and community groups for a very long time. Please feel free to contact our Education Coordinator Lucille Sciacca with any questions, or to plan a school program (Lucille.Sciacca@oprhp.state.ny.us, 914-965-4027). You may also request our educational brochure, or download one here.

Is there a place I can read about the history of Yonkers?
Of course! Click here.

I would like to do some research on Yonkers. Where can I start?
You might want to try our resource/archives page. If you need further assistance, please contact us and let us know how we can help you with your search. Happy hunting!

How can I contact a particular staff member?
Read below for specific contacts at the Manor. We're happy to help.

Kimberly Flook, Site Manager (Kimberly.Flook@oprhp.state.ny.us)
Charles Casimiro, Historic Site Assistant (Charles.Casimiro@oprhp.state.ny.us)
Lucille Sciacca, Education Coordinator (Lucille.Sciacca@oprhp.state.ny.us)
Brittany Wheeler, Museum Programs Coordinator (Brittany.Wheeler@oprhp.state.ny.us)
Nancy Bauer, Docent/Historian (Nancy.Bauer@oprhp.state.ny.us)

All staff members can be reached through our main telephone line: (914) 965-4027

COMING 2009 PROGRAMS




Saturday, November 21st, 1 - 3 PM
FOOD IN THE TIME OF THANKSGIVING
12-1PM: Learn historical food preparation with historical narrative
1-2PM: Take a food and thanksgiving-themed house tour
2-3PM: Sample historical autumnal/winter prepared foods
$5/person, children under 12/$3
(Bring a canned food item for donation, and receive adult admission for $3)

Saturday, December 5th, 12-3PM
ST. NICHOLAS CELEBRATION & CONCERT
Join us for a performance by the Bronx Arts Ensemble (performing at 1 and 3 p.m.), treats, and a visit from St. Nicholas!
Free, more details to come

December 12th, 4-6PM
VICTORIAN TREE DECORATING PARTY & SPECIAL HOUSE TOUR
Channel the Victorian period while decorating the Manor’s tree with various homemade ornaments. Enjoy treats and music, followed by a holiday-themed house tour from 5-6PM.
Regular admission

NOVEMBER 14th, 2009


Join us for a free film screening, a part of The Weekend to End Slavery, on
Saturday, November 14th at 5 p.m.


Watch the trailer here: http://www.attheendofslavery.com/


RSVP appreciated, but not required.
Please bear in mind that some topics and scenes may not be appropriate for children.

Narration by Danny Glover music by Moby and Johnny Cash
An International Justice Mission Production

“If history has shown us that the monster of slavery assumes new forms, it has also shown us that its oppressive systems crumble in the face of those who heartily oppose them. It is our collective responsibility to oppose slavery in the time given to us. History is on our side.”
-At the End of Slavery:The Battle for Justice in our Time

HALLOWEEN NIGHTS! OCTOBER 30, 31ST


** On Halloween night, we'll take a ghoulish stroll from the Manor to attend BOO-ZAK (the Beczak Environmental Education Center's Halloween event) at 6:45 pm, following our costume contest! For more information on their program, visit: http://beczak.org/ or call 914.377.1900
Friday, October 30th, 6-8 PM

ORB PHOTOGRAPHY & SPECIAL EVENING TOUR
Learn about spirit photography, tour the house by night and investigate locations not explored on our daytime tour, and bring your own camera to try your hand at orb photography!
Regular admission applies ($5/$3). No children under age 8 without permission.

Saturday, October 31st, 4 - 7 PM
TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THE MANOR
Treats, music, games, costume contest (6 PM) and more!
All ages welcome, free to the public!

OCTOBER 8th, 2009


Thursday, October 8th
THE (FORGOTTEN) MELTING POT: A QUADRICENTENNIAL PANEL DISCUSSION

A Quadricentennial expert panel discusses New York’s changing
cultural landscape and the contributions of underrepresented people. The panel will focus on the transitional 17th-century, but will look to various moments in history and the present day, elucidating African American, Native American, Dutch and women’s roles.
This event is free. Donations are warmly accepted.

Panelists include:
Moderator Daniel Wolff, author of How Lincoln Learned to Read: Twelve Great Americans and the Educations That Made Them and A Glimpse of the Lenape.

Sherrill Wilson, Ph.D., urban anthropologist, author of New York City’s African Slave Owners: A Social and Material Culture History, and was the founding director of the Office of Public Education and Interpretation for the African Burial Ground National Monument (1993-2005).

David Oestricher, Ph.D., independent, published scholar, curator of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum's exhibit Lenape: Ellis Island's First Inhabitants, and author of Lenape: The First Inhabitants.

Tom Lake, archaeologist and professor of anthropology at SUNY Dutchess Community College, is currently working at Woodlawn Manor in Orange County, where occupation dates from roughly 9,000 years ago to the Contact Period (the 17th century).

Martha Shattuck, Ph.D., independent historian, is an editor and researcher for the New Netherland Project, writing articles on various aspects of New Netherland's history. She most recently acted as editor of Explorers, Fortunes, and Love Letters: A Window on New Netherland.


The evening will include:

6 p.m. -
OBJECT ANALYSIS: Guests are invited to bring in their American "found objects," (whether Indian artifacts, African textiles or other items) for analysis by our panelists before the discussion. *

7 p.m. -
Our PANEL DISCUSSION begins, immediately followed by an open Q & A session for the audience.

8:30 p.m. -
RECEPTION & book signing

*Certified consultant, art appraiser & writer Louise Devenish will also analyze objects (specializing in decorative art from the 18th-20th century). Please note no objects will be appraised during this event; objects will be given historical and cultural analysis.

This event is free. Donations are warmly accepted.

OCTOBER 3RD, 2009

Saturday, October 3rd, 5:30 PM
BOOK EVENT: ED LEVINE’S HUDSON-FULTON CELEBRATION OF 1909
Reading, discussion and book signing for the recent publication of the postcard history book Hudson-Fulton Celebration of 1909
Free admission

RIDE THE TRAIN!


Ride the Metro North to Yonkers between April 25th and September 30th, 2009, and you'll be treated to a 3-stop adventure that explores Philipse Manor Hall, The Beczack Environmental Education Center and The Science Barge--all for one small fee! It's an eco-friendly way to visit a new part of New York.

This Quadricentennial year, wouldn't you like to interact more closely with the Hudson River? A Day on the Hudson allows you to do just that.
Please consult the following website to learn about each particular site, the special events they'll be hosting during the Getaway program, and their contact information: http://www.mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_beczak.htm

Philipse Manor will be open for tours at 12, 2 and 3 p.m. during A Day on the Hudson weekends, or by appointment. Our events will be posted on this blog regularly, so that you can stay up-to-date on what we have in store for you during the Getaway program! Please note that during days on which programs are scheduled, we will not run tours, unless by special appointment.